There is known a library apparatus which is capable of storing plural information record media such as a magnetic tape in a housing thereof and which transfers those information record media by a robot to an information input-output apparatus such as a magnetic tape drive to input and output information. A bar code for identification is attached to the information record media. A bar code read device is provided with the robot. The robot reads the bar code of an information record medium placed at an information record medium transfer entrance by the bar code read device and transfers and stores the information record medium to a predetermined storage shelf. An optical bar code read device that uses an imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is one example of a known bar code read device.
Some are provided in the housing of this library apparatus, to remove heat. These fans are driven when the power is turned on. The fans are driven to generate an air flow in the housing, and so dusts outside the apparatus may be suctioned with the air flow to enter into the housing. In addition, also in the inside of the housing, dusts which are produced by a friction between the information record medium and the storage shelf and the like are floating in the housing, and so those dusts attach to a CCD lens of the bar code read device and the CCD lens becomes dirty or dusty and so a read error where the bar code may not be properly read may occur.
When such read error occurs, a service person is informed of the error. Then, the service person performs cleaning of the CCD lens. Until the cleaning is completed, the function of the library apparatus is stopped.
Conventionally, for example, of library apparatuses in which plural cartridge magnetic tapes are stored, there has been disclosed a library apparatus (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Application H02-35651) in which plural cells to store the cartridge magnetic tapes, a hand mechanism to hold and release the plural cartridge magnetic tapes, and an accesser to move the hand mechanism between the cells are provided, and air passages are formed respectively inside the hand mechanism and the accesser, and when the hand mechanism is positioned at a position for holding a cartridge magnetic tape in a cell, a coupling section for coupling the air passages of both is formed, a compressed air is blown into the hand mechanism from an air compressor, and the compressed air is blown into a cell from an opening of the accesser via the air passage of the hand mechanism, the coupling section and the air passage of the accesser so that dusts attached to the cartridge magnetic tape are blown out.
However, in the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application H02-35651, there is a problem in that the air passage of the hand mechanism and the air passage of the accesser must be accurately coupled by the coupling section when the hand mechanism is positioned for holding the cartridge magnetic tape. Therefore, devices such as the hand mechanism, the accesser and the positioning mechanism must be finely processed, and this increases the cost of the apparatus.